Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-03
CATTLE FEEDING.
A NEW PHASE OF A GREAT WESTERN IN
DUSTRY.
How POrterhouss Steaks are Made for the Eastern
Epcure-A Rapid Transition From Ten
Cent Corn b Luscious Rio
RlaStS.


FREMONT, NEE, May 2l.-A new in
dustry has sprung up in this State within
the last year and half, Of which people
east of US know very little. 1t was not
dreamed of twenty-five years ago, when all
our beef came from Texas up over the Kan
sas trail, much less thirty years ago, when
the Pathfndersurveyed this beautiful little
city of Fremont IN those days grass fed
Texas steer weighing 700 pounds in meat
and POO in horns, tail and hoOis,
was about as good beef ~ the
market knew, and during the war
the prices were something fabulous
even Tor such poor critters. The cowboys
who drove stock up north did it at peril of
coniiscation by the military authorities
and ran great risks to earn their 100 per
cent profit. Nowadays the whole cattle
business has become civilized and is about
as tame as the dry goods business. The
ranchers are fenced in, the Indians have
been killed oil or stOckadGd in Florida,
the war is over and the big operators have
GOT the whole business down so fine that
the handsome profits in the old time have
all disappeared. Yet to those who haye
zone into the new feature of the cattle
business there have been very good re-
turns. This new feature is stall feeding,
and there is no place where it is 50 sue
cesslul or carried on quite so extensively
A. in "Newbraskey.'
Ii was discovered in the close margin Of
profit few years ago that it would pay to
take ranch fed cattle and tatten them on
corn. A few far seeing operators went into
the business ON a small scale in Iowa and
Missouri ten years ago. They made
money, but somehow nobody ever attempt
ed the thing on large scale until few
enterpriSing ranch men in this State saw
their chance. The facts which gradually
demonstrated the opportunity were the
increase in the corn crop aud the diScrimi-
nation mt the Chicago stock yards against
grass fed animals. In 1879 Nebraska was
hardly thought of in the list Ofcorn States.
In 1874 she raised H., 1000, OOO bushels
and in 1855 $50, 600, 900. This showed
that there was enough corn west OF
the Missouri river 10 fatten cattle from the
ranges of Utah, Montana, Colorado and
Wyoming IOwa'S corn Weld had fallen
| of and prices there went up i'll local mar
ketS. while in Nebraska they went down.
| | am told bv the manager Of one of the
largest feeding harms near Fremont that
| his comOany paid last season but eight
CENTS n bushel for corn raised on its own
ranch. and the highest paid for that bought
of neighboring farmers WAS thirteen cents,
| A bushcl of corn will put ten pounds Of
meat on a steer which will bring three and
tour cents a pound. The profit in the bus.
mess rolls mp when by feeding steer -four
months from 500 to 100 pounds OF flesh
are put on him.
There are a dozen big concerns in the
ranch feed business. One company fed
last winter 10000 head, another $500
this company also had over 10, 600 head IL
their barns near Omaha. These numbers
of course, vary somewhat, but they arr
approximate and if anything are less rath
or than more than the actual size of thu
herds fed.
-.
The modus operandi of the battle feet
business il simple and unique. For tifteeI
Years the trunk lines of railroad running
ont of Chicago into the northwest have
had a system of business called grind IL
transit" rates. What brought in by
the farmers in the Red Rive
valley is shipped direct to New
York at one rate of freight, with the priv
ilege secured to the shipper of unloading
at Minneapolis or any other point alons
the route where there are flour mills
Uaipding il into flour, which is then pu
on board the cars and sent on under the
original contract. The cattle men of Ne
braska have exactly the same system, anC
If is called feeding in transit. The UniOr
Pacific road has feeders, or short lines o
road, running north and south from tn,
main line all along the route, in Colorado
Utah, Montana and Wyoming. The ranel
men drive their cattle to the nearest sta
ton on these feeders and ship them to thu
stock yards in Omaha or Chicago. Ifthey
want quick returns on stock that is fattel
than tine average, they do not arrage to
feed in transit, but let the cattle rol
on to their destruction. But late in tn,
season, and with the ordinary sort of ami
mails, they prefer to feed. The cattle trail
goes on over the feeder and the main lin,
until the feeding ranch is reached. Her,
there are side tracks, and ample yards ani
barns, and the hungry steers and COWS AT,